Improvement in projectiles for ordnance



s. c. ABBOTT` Shell.

Patented Jan. 1,5, 1861..

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IMPROVEMENT IN PROJECTILES FOR ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,099, dated January l5, 1851.

To au w/'wnt it may concern,

Be it known that I, S. C. ABBOT, of Zanesville, in the county of Muskingum and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful kImprovement in Shot or Shells for Use in Connection with Ordnance, &c. 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which- Figure lis an elevation o f one of my improved shells. Fig. 2 is a central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a view looking at the conical end ofthe shell. Fig. 4 shows a sectional view of one of my shells as used in a cannon, and Fig. 5 shows the packing which I use in connection with the shell or shot.

Similar letters of reference in each of the several gures indicate corresponding parts.

My invention consists, first, in so constructing the shell that it charges itself, or the interstices between the grains of powder with which it is loaded, with atmosphere under pressure, as it flies through the air, and at the moment of contact with a resisting-obj ect connes said compacted or compressed air, so that when an explosion occurs the expansive pressure or action, and also those properties of the atmosphere which support or assist combustion, are made available for increasing the explosive force of the powder.

My invention consist-s, second, in providing a series of spiral planes on the conical part of the shell, so that it shall receive its rotation from the friction ofthe atmosphere upon spiral planes, instead of on a series of spiral grooves or wings as commonly, the spiral planes presenting a much more regular surface for the resisting atmosphere to act upon at every part of the shell than is presented by raised wings or stinken grooves.

My invention consists, third, in constructing the screw-plug which conducts the lire of the cap to the interior of the shell in two parts and fitting one part over the air-nipple of the other part, so that the ring-shaped wafer-cap may be placed round the nipple and between the two parts of the plug, and shall be exploded by the concussion between the two sections of the plug when the conical end of the shell strikesa resisting object.

My invention consists, fourth, in the employment, between the shell and the inner cir-.l

cnmference of the gun, of a self-detaching L wedge-shaped spring-packing strip, bent in the form of a ring, said strip being formed of' leather, gutta-percha, or other similar iiexible substance, which is softer than the metal of the gun, and rendered solid by means of soft-inetal plugs or rivets driven through its thickest edge, the strip thus constructed and employed serving to effectually stop the windage, and also retard the shot at its start sufficiently to allow time for the combustion of the powder to be perfected, and thus its full effective force upon the shell be secured before the shell leaves the gun,

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceeed to describe its construction and operation.

A represents a hollow shell. Its front portion, c to b, is in the form of a cone, and its rear portion, from b to c, is cylindrical. In the conical end I insert a screw-plug, as shown. This screw-plug is made in two sections, d c. The section d is screwed into the shell so that its rear end just reaches to the hollow of the shell. An extension or nipple, of smaller dia-meter than the plug, is formed in its front end, and three passages, f g h, extendfrom end to end ofthe section d 0f the plug. The central passage, f, is for admitting air into the shell and between the grains of powder with which it is loaded as it makes its flight through the air, whilethe passages g h are for conducting the fire of an exploding-cap to the charge of the shell. The extension or nipple serves to retain a ring-cap, t', which is fitted round it, and also as a guide for the section e of the plug, which is fitted round the nipple and screwed into the cone-end of the shell until it comes within about a quarter of an inch of the cap, as represented. The advantage of this construction of plug is twofold. First, the air-opening opens to the line of Hight, and as the shell passes through the atmosphere, the atmosphere packs inside thereof equal to the resisting pressure on the forward part outside, and thus when the shell explodes the expansive action or pressure and also those properties of the atmosphere which support or assist combustion are made available for increasing the explosive force of the powder; and, second, the front section of the plug protects the cap from any external inl liuences before it is red from the cannon, and

thus gives great safety in handling; but when plugs give it a solidity without destroying the the shell strikes with great force an opposing object in its Hight from the gun the screwthreads of the front section break out and a concussion between the front and rear sections sufficient to explode the cap takes place.

C C are planes formed on the conical part of the shell. These planes are spiral or curved, and run from the apex ofthe cene till they arrive at the base of the cone or cylindrical part of the shell. rIhere is a great advantage in constructing the shells with spiral planes instead 'of with raised wings or sunken grooves, for the planes take in the whole surface of the forward part of the shell, and thus serve to distribute the rotating -foree more equally than is done by grooves or wings, which only take in separated portions ofthe forward part of the shell. By thus distributing the rotative force over the solid part of the shell, which has the preponderance oi" weight, the shell is prevented from tumbling.

D is a packing made of either sole-leather, rawhide, india-rubber, gutta-percha, or other similar substance softer than the gun, and which will spring from the shell after it passes the muzzle ofthe gun. It is composed of a strip in length exactly equal to the circumference of the bore of the gun. Its width varies with the size of the shot. For a pounder, or a bore of three and sixty-seven one-hundredth inchesfl use a packing about two inches in width. The packing is shaved downto a feather-edge on one side, which causes it to operate as a wedge. I have a row of soft-metal plugs or rivets s s, near the thicker edge of the packing,- the effect of which is to give it solidity and prevent the ends from slipping too far in between the shot and the gun, and which causes the shot to operate evenly upon all parts of the packing. My manner of using this shell and packing is as follows: After placing the powderin the gun, put the shell 011 the powder, then bend the packing in the shape of a ring, place it in the gun with the feather-edge toward the shell, and,with a cup on the end of the ram-rod, rain it home. This operation causes it to pack in between the shell and the gun, it impinging hard against the gun and pushing hard on the shell. The effect is to completely stop the windage and retard the shot in its start and resist its progress in the gun, and thereby enable the combustion to be perfected and the shell to receive the full force of the explosion. If a ritled gun is used the packing takes the grooves, and the metal spring, which is necessary to enable the packing to leave the shot at the muzzle of the gun- I am aware that shot or shells have been previousl y constructed with spiral planes upon their sides, in order to retard their escape from the gnn,and also produce rotation, in connection with a bore of like form. A great objection to shots of this construction is, that they require guns specially adapted to them in the forni of the bore; and a secondary objection is that they cannot without difficulty be inserted at the muzzle of the gun. I am like` wise aware that shot or shells have been constructed with a cylindrical rear portion and a conical front portion provided with spiral tlanges or grooves; but I know of no previous instance in which spiral planes have been applied to the conical front portion of a shell in the mannerI have described, so as to be acted upon by the atmosphere. The superiority of the spiral planes over spiral ilanges is that they preserve the proper direction of the shot more ei'i'ectually with less retarding of its motion.

Vhat IV claim as my invention. and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. So constructing the shell that it .charges itself, or the interstices between the grains of powder, with which it is loaded, with atmosphere under pressure, as it flies through the air,and at the moment of contact with a resisting object confines said compacted or compressed air, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The spiral planes C on the conical front portion of the shot or shell, in the described combination with the cylindrical rear portion, for the purposes explained.

3. Constructing the screw-plug, which conducts the tire of the cap to the interior of the shell, in two parts, and fitting one part over the air-nipple of the other part, substantially as and for the purposes set l'orth.

et. rlhe employment, between the shell and the inner circumference of the gun, of a selfdetaehing wedge-shaped spri1ig-1L acking strip bent into the form of a ring, said strip being formed of leather, gutta-percha, or other similar flexible substance which is softer than the metal of the gun, and rendered solid by means of soft-metal plugs or rivets driven through its thickest edge, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

S. ABBOT.

Vitnesses:

GOODWIN Y. A'rLnE, LEWIS EIKENBERRY. 

